Camryn

[Chris Saper]

Dear Julianne,

Working with a studio flash photo, unfortunately, leaves the artist without the light and shadow patterns that are needed to create a sense of dimension, and without much color information. For your next portrait you would really benefit by reading the Forum sections on lighting the subject, as well as the resource photo critiques, so that you can get resource material that is more helpful.

That being said, I think that the dominant warm colors in your portrait need temperature relief. Even on my monitor I can see cool skin tones above the eyebrows, under the eyes, around the muzzle of the mouth, the part of the hair along the hairline, and on the neck. The red shirt is much cooler than you have portrayed it, and it is throwing some relatively cool reflected reds into the underside of the cheek and chin on our right.

I wonder if the blue paper might have caused you to overcompensate with the warm tones. Did you complete the background at the same time as the face?

I don't know if this beautiful child is your beautiful child, but if you can, take the opportunity to re-photograph her in directional light that will give you the visual information you need to produce a thrilling portrait.